VERIZON REUNITES PARENTS WITH THEIR LGBTQ+ CHILDREN IN PRIDE CAMPAIGN

For some LGBTQ+ kids, the relief of coming out might come with a huge price: the support of their parents and loved ones. But this new campaign from Verizon arriving in time for Pride Month brings a happy ending to some of these stories.

In a short film, we see family members finally coming to terms with their prejudices from years ago. They can’t tamp down their love for their children and siblings and finally want to make amends.

Throughout the film, we see the struggles both sides had experienced—parents didn’t want their kids to suffer from how others would see them, kids had expected full support but received otherwise. We then see the family member re-connecting over the phone, with the loved ones who originally rejected the kids now telling them how much they regret their actions.

According to Sean Bryan, Co-CCO of McCann New York, finding the right subjects was an important part of the process. “We started by casting for parents who were haunted by the way they handled their child’s coming out,” he says. From there, they approached the children and once all were game, the filming was able to proceed.

As an everyday viewer, it’s tear-jerking to watch, and for the team on the shoot, “They used up a lot of Kleenex,” Bryan says.

The ending of the film reads, “It’s never too late for love to call back,” as we here one subject’s voiceover, “I never thought that phone call would come.”

Verizon teamed with PFLAG, an organization dedicated to uniting families with their LGBTQ+ loved ones on the campaign.